Christmas postal dates

Tom also encouraged people to post early to help Royal Mail spread the workload during its busiest time of the year.

Royal Mail said the latest recommended posting dates for UK Christmas delivery are first class on Friday, December 20; second class on Wednesday, December 18; and special delivery guaranteed on Monday, December 23.

He said: “It’s the time of year when we want to remember our nearest and dearest and for those of us who can’t travel to see everyone, a card at Christmas can mean a lot to loved ones in far flung places.

“Not everyone can travel through time to see those we would like to, so it makes sense to post early for the festive season.”

Customers sending Christmas cards and presents abroad are also being encouraged to post early and a full list of final posting dates for a variety of countries are available by vising the Royal Mail website on www.royalmail.com.